Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Holy goodness. These are to die for. I made a project for myself this year of mastering baking with yeast. I have never had much luck with it, but I've always wanted to be able to make my own bread, pizza, and yes, cinnamon rolls. I tried some pizza last week, and since it was successful I thought I could move on to cinnamon rolls. I was absolutely thrilled when they started to rise! This is what they looked like before going into the refrigerator the night before.

I got up a little bit early to take them out of the refrigerator, and then we baked them before going off to the Memorial Day parade in town. They were simply gorgeous.

And delicious. I fully intended to take pictures of individual cinnamon rolls and us eating them, but once I took a bite, I couldn't will myself to stop. They were soft, warm, and the vanilla glaze was wonderful. The only thing I might have done differently is to make a double batch of the glaze. They are slightly time consuming, but the good part is that all of the work (except the glaze) is done the night before, leaving you to a leisurely morning smelling cinnamon rolls in the oven. This book has become one of my very favorites. Enjoy!

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

from Family Meals: Creating Traditions in the Kitchen by Maria Helm Sinskey

For the dough:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (105 degrees)

4 1/2 cups flour

4 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon

For the Vanilla Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the water, allow to bloom for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot, about 30 minutes.

Add the eggs, sugar, salt and remaining 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium speed until smooth, 3-4 minutes. Add the room temperature butter and continue to knead, adding a little flour to reduce stickiness if needed (I added quite a bit), until the dough is smooth, 10-12 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. roll out into a 15x10-inch rectangle. Brush the rectangle with half of the melted butter, leaving a 2-inch wide strip uncovered on one long side. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the butter. Starting at the long side covered with sugar, roll up the rectangle snugly and pinch the seam together. With the seam facing down, cut into 10 equal pieces. Place the pieces, cut side up, in the dish. Brush with the remaining butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and let rise until half again as high, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Spread the glaze over the warm rolls and serve.

To make the glaze, in a small bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, milk and vanilla and stir into the sugar to form a smooth paste.

100 Things to Cook, Bake & Make

On another blog I saw that a lady had made a list of 100 things she would like to try her hand at making in the kitchen. I thought that this was a fabulous idea and went ahead and made my own list. I'll make sure to let you know when one of these posts is on this list. Of course, everything on this list I want to make from scratch. My first one was a success, so wish me luck on the rest!


1. Cinnamon Rolls - 5/29/10
2. Macarons
3. Meringues
4. Bagels
5. English Muffins
6. Baklava
7. Bread Pudding
8. Cream Puffs
9. Pasta from scratch
10. Ebelskivers
11. Pavlova
12. Butter
13. Churros
14. Monkey Bread
15. Eggrolls
16. Challah
17. Doughnuts
18. Whoopie Pies - 6/17/10
19. Tres Leches Cake
20. Turnovers
21. Angel Food Cake
22. Madeleines
23. Galette
24. Croque Madame - 6/21/10
25. Momofuku's Crack Pie
26. Eggs Benedict
27. Tyler Florence's Lasagna
28. Sushi
29. Caesar Salad
30. Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust
31. Marshmallows
32. Hot Cocoa
33. Eton Mess
34. Pappa al Pomodoro - 6/1/10
35. Lemon Meringue Pie
36. Red Velvet Cake - 6/11/10
37. Fudge
38. Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
39. Cure my own bacon
40. Millionaire's Shortbread
41. Samosas
42. Chicken Tikka Masala
43. Naan
44. Pitas - 6/13/10
45. Banana Pudding
46. Tortillas
47. Hummus
48. Potatoes au Gratin
49. Chicken Cordon Bleu
50. Falafel - 6/13/10
51. A Dessert with Bacon
52. Soft Pretzels
53. Bûche de Noël
54. Paula Deen's Heart Attack Burgers
55. Tzatziki - 6/13/10
56. Frittata - 7/16/10
57. Quiche
58. Spinach Artichoke Dip
59. Baked Beans
60. Fried Green Tomatoes
61. Pancakes from scratch
62. Peanut Butter
63. German Pancakes
64. Funeral Potatoes
65. Pioneer Woman's Texas Sheet Cake
66. Eclairs
67. Root Beer
68. Fluffernutter
69. French Onion Soup
70. Caramels
71. Muffalettas
72. Dolmades
73. Garlic Bread
74. Dinner Rolls - 6/5/10
75. King Cake
76. Pickles
77. Samoas (yes, the Girl Scout cookie)
78. Chocolate Truffles
79. Tarts
80. Chicken Fried Steak (this one is for the husband)
81. Monte Cristo Sandwiches
82. Croquettes
83. Calzones
84. Cinnamon Raisin Bread
85. Spaetzle
86. Danish Pastries
87. Buffalo Chicken Dip
88. Sticky Toffee Pudding
89. Toffee
90. Taquitos
91. Pumpkin Puree
92. Gnocchi
93. Mousse (chocolate or raspberry)
94. Croissants
95. Rollout Sugar Cookies
96. Lemon Curd
97. Granita - 6/16/10
98. New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
99. Pizza Buns (like cinnamon rolls, but pizza) - 6/10/10
100. Stuffed Tomatoes - 6/19/10

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Believe it or not, I got this recipe off of the back of a Kroger brand peanut butter chip bag. I have no idea what made me want to try it a couple of years ago, but I am so glad I did. These cookies are absolutely wonderful. They are very soft and pretty much just melt in your mouth. They also stay soft for days. On this last batch, my dad described them to me as "creamy". Have you ever had a creamy cookie before? Then it's about time you did. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

from Kroger

1 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 small box instant chocolate pudding

1 bag peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars. Beat until creamy. Add vanilla and eggs and beat well. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and dry pudding mix. Add to butter mixture and blend well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

I have been baking a little bit this week to give me something to do...it makes the time go faster while my husband is in boot camp. I tried these cookies yesterday and they turned out scrumptious. They are still chewy and delicious today, and the flavor combination is wonderful. They were also very easy to make and made at least 5 dozen with not too many ingredients. You will definitely need some milk with these cookies! Enjoy!

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup peanut butter - chunky or smooth

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

9 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chunks

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds (I didn't do that) and preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats (I used spray).

Whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, spices and salt.

Working with a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended. Mix in the chips. If you have the time, cover and chill the dough for about 2 hours or for up to 1 day (I didn't do this). (Chilling the dough will give you more evenly shaped cookies.)

If the dough is not chilled, drop rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. If the dough is chilled, scoop up rounded tablespoons, roll the balls between your palms and place them 2 inches apart on the sheets. Press the chilled balls gently with the heel of your hand until they are about 1/2-inch thick.

Bake for 13-15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 7 minutes (I only rotated front to back, and really watch the cookies, because mine only took about 11 minutes). The cookies should be golden and just firm around the edges. Lift the cookies onto cooling racks with a wide metal spatula - they will firm as they cool.

Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.

Blueberry Muffins

Do you ever have one of those eureka moments when you find a perfect recipe for something that you have been trying to find the perfect recipe for forever? I knew I was having one of those moments the second I opened the oven and saw how beautiful these babies were. Perfectly golden on the top and they came cleanly out of the pan. Holy crap were they good!

The sugar topping leaves the most awesome crunch on the top and the muffins are moist and full of berries. Please, please, please try these! I finally found a blueberry muffin recipe that os perfect and delicious. Now if only I could do the same for chocolate chip cookies...

The recipe is from Cook's Illustrated, but Basically Baked got permission to reprint the recipe! Enjoy!

Raspberry Coconut Cookies

Since we are moving in about 2 weeks, I am trying to clean out my pantry. Today I made these cookies which helped use up staples, as well as raspberry jam and flaked coconut. They were a big hit! We have had a really hard time not eating the whole batch. The cookies have the perfect texture and are nice and buttery. The filling just makes them truly delicious. These are a must try! Enjoy!

Raspberry Coconut Cookies

by Lesley Mansfield from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars 2009

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

1/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup raspberry preserves

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, coconut, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and combine well.

Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets; flatten with a glass dipped in flour (I used my fingers). Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool on wire racks.

In a small bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Place 1/2 teaspoon preserves and a scant teaspoon of filling on the bottom of half of the cookies; top with the remaining cookies.

Christmas Cookies

These are the cookies that I made during my baking extravaganza yesterday. Between being pregnant and taking care of a toddler, this literally took me all day. I started at about 7:45 am and finished at about 5:30 pm. As you can see, there are 3 different kinds and they are all delicious. I made two of them last year and tried another for the first time yesterday. They all turned out wonderfully. It was a long day on my feet, but it was worth it for the yummy cookies! Enjoy!

Chocolate Snowballs

by Mary Lou Welsh from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars 2008

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, milk and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Shape into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes or until the tops or crackled. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Roll cookies in the powdered sugar.

Peppermint Snowballs

by Judith Scholovich from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars 2008

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

Filling:

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candy or candy canes

Topping:

1/4 cup powdered sugar

6 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candy or candy canes

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar; add vanilla. Stir in flour; knead until mixed well. Reserve 1/2 cup of dough; shape remaining dough into 1-inch balls.

For filling, combine cream cheese and milk in a small bowl. Stir in sugar and candy; mix well. Make a deep well in the center of each ball; fill with 1/4 teaspoon filling. Use reserved dough to cover filling. Reshape if necessary into smooth balls.

Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Combine topping ingredients; roll cookies in mixture while still warm. Cool on wire racks.

Fudge-Filled Sandies

by Jeanette Ray from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars 2009

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Additional powdered sugar

Filling:

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon shortening

In a large bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and pecans; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Roll into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle (I used my finger), make an indentation in the center of each.

Bake at 325 for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Roll warm cookies in additional powdered sugar; cool on wire racks.

In a microwave (or in a double boiler) melt chocolate chips, stir until smooth. Stir in the corn syrup, water and shortening. Spoon or pipe into cooled cookies.